What's the best option for night time? The main problem for me is to protect against night blindness due to oncoming traffic lights.

I have been into optometrists and they don't seem to be aware of any standard products out there, and are suggesting a deep (seriously) orange lense, or a clear glass lense with a protective coating over the top that reduces glare. Has anyone tried either of these options?

I use photo chromatic lenses. It's dark when I ride to work an light in the afternoon so this means I only need on pair of glasses. They are perfect at night and a light grey tint which darkens with sun. I love them.

DaveOZ wrote:I use photo chromatic lenses. It's dark when I ride to work an light in the afternoon so this means I only need on pair of glasses. They are perfect at night and a light grey tint which darkens with sun. I love them.

It is an all too common misconception that yellow tinted or yellow polarized night driving glasses are beneficial for night time driving.The thought is, the yellow or amber color reduces glare and improves contrast. However, in reality, when driving at night or dusk in already limited lighting conditions, ANY tint further reduces the amount of light transmitted to the eye, and consequently, further impairs vision.The problem is compounded as the yellow tint gives the wearer the impression they are seeing better, when in fact the reverse is actually true.

While yellow lenses can be effective for foggy or hazy daylight conditions, they are not effective against headlight glare and should not be worn at dusk or night. If glare from headlights is a problem, the first step should be a thorough eye examination, as this could be an early indication of cataracts or other medical conditions.

The best option for night time driving is a pair of spectacles with clear lenses and an AR coating. The AR coating is beneficial in two ways. First, it minimizes internal reflections within the lenses, reducing halo problems, and second, it increases the transmittance of light through the lens to the eye. However, it is important to note, if a patient does not normally wear spectacles, AR coated lenses, or any other type of night driving glasses will not improve night vision, as AR coatings only minimize aberrations that are inherent in ophthalmic lenses and night driving glasses will simply serve to introduce those abberations to the wearer’s vision.

Tips for optimal night time driving vision:- Make sure eyes are examined regularly- Always wear an up-to-date prescription- Lenses worn should be clear with an AR coating- Ensure lenses are clean- Ensure windshield is clean- Ensure headlights are clean and properly aligned

Responsible dispensers of ophthalmic lenses should discourage the use of tinted, polarized, or photochromic lenses in night time or dusk driving conditions and not participate in solicitation or marketing of so-called night driving glasses by irresponsible manufacturers

It is an all too common misconception that yellow tinted or yellow polarized night driving glasses are beneficial for night time driving.The thought is, the yellow or amber color reduces glare and improves contrast. However, in reality, when driving at night or dusk in already limited lighting conditions, ANY tint further reduces the amount of light transmitted to the eye, and consequently, further impairs vision.The problem is compounded as the yellow tint gives the wearer the impression they are seeing better, when in fact the reverse is actually true.

While yellow lenses can be effective for foggy or hazy daylight conditions, they are not effective against headlight glare and should not be worn at dusk or night. If glare from headlights is a problem, the first step should be a thorough eye examination, as this could be an early indication of cataracts or other medical conditions.

The best option for night time driving is a pair of spectacles with clear lenses and an AR coating. The AR coating is beneficial in two ways. First, it minimizes internal reflections within the lenses, reducing halo problems, and second, it increases the transmittance of light through the lens to the eye. However, it is important to note, if a patient does not normally wear spectacles, AR coated lenses, or any other type of night driving glasses will not improve night vision, as AR coatings only minimize aberrations that are inherent in ophthalmic lenses and night driving glasses will simply serve to introduce those abberations to the wearer’s vision.

Tips for optimal night time driving vision:- Make sure eyes are examined regularly- Always wear an up-to-date prescription- Lenses worn should be clear with an AR coating- Ensure lenses are clean- Ensure windshield is clean- Ensure headlights are clean and properly aligned

Responsible dispensers of ophthalmic lenses should discourage the use of tinted, polarized, or photochromic lenses in night time or dusk driving conditions and not participate in solicitation or marketing of so-called night driving glasses by irresponsible manufacturers

Sure, but the motivation for wearing eye protection (or part of it anyway) is protection from debris and bugs and so on. In cars, the windscreen does this job (at the cost of reducing light transmission). So it's not exactly an apples-with-apples comparison.

As an aside, photochromics are a complete waste of time for driving, IME. They darken in response to UV light, which is blocked by glass. So my clear photochromics unhelpfully fade to clear when I get in the car.

I've had a few expensive pairs of sunnies over the years, but they are as easily damaged as cheaper ones, so I don't bother anymore. Currently, I've got a couple of pairs of BBBs and Shimano. I leave clear lenses in all of them, though yellow seemed ok too.I don't find sunlight bothersome. I'd suggest if your eyes are sensitive to car lights, you get on a cleaner low fat diet. Fatty desposits knock your special senses around well before anything else.

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